HYPERDONTIA – Hideous Entity
Release Date: 12th November 2021
Label: Dark Descent Records / Me Saco Un Ojo Records / Desiccated Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Old School Death Metal, Doom.
FFO: Morbid Angel, Mortiferum, Dead Congregation, Fetid, Undergang, Cerebral Rot, Vastum.
Review By: Dave Buchanan
Turkish-Danish Death Metal stalwarts, Hyperdontia have returned with their 2nd full-length studio album, ‘Hideous Entity’, the follow-up to the 2018 gut punch, ‘A Nexus Of Teeth’.
Mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios, ‘Hideous Entity’ sounds like it has been festering in a dank basement for the last few years. The filthy riffs that ooze out on ‘Snakes of Innards’ will most definitely leave you feeling unkempt…but at the same time leave you begging for more of the jaw-dropping blasts that end the track.
I must admit, it’s refreshing to hear a band of this ilk burst free of modern production techniques and deliver a mountainous slice of organic, old school death metal. There’s not even a whiff of time alignment or studio fuckery on the skull-crushing ‘Beast Within’. And as the band whip in and out of various tempos and rhythms, it’s hard not to be seriously impressed by how locked-in they sound, even though the velocity at which they play should make it nigh on impossible. Mathias Friborg taking over vocal duties on this sophomore release has also paid dividends. His more throaty delivery, for me, is a better blend and has a much more forceful impact overall.
‘Grinding Teeth’ hears the band deliver some of their most groove-laden material, with riffs dripping in a Cannibal Corpse-esque bloodiness and vocalist/guitarist Mathias Friborg laying waste with his ferocious vocal style. Bassist Malik Çamlıca does a fantastic job of keeping the rhythm section rock-solid at the back, but his flashes of more progressive finger work on tracks like ‘Trapped in the Void’, ‘Coils of Wrath’ and ‘Wretched Mockery of Creation’ are not only captivating, but let those colossal riffs sound somehow even more imposing.
Closing track ‘Impervious Veil’ see’s the band go out on a high note. The band pull no punches, delivering a barrage of churning riffs that transition in and out of varied tempos, ranging from rabidly fast to repulsively slow and discordant. It’s a terrific display of savage riffery and ominous, clean guitar work, to bring the album to its conclusion.
Hyperdontia continue to impress with their brand of dissonant, old school death metal. As much as I enjoyed ‘A Nexus Of Teeth’, I honestly think ‘Hideous Entity’ is a step-up in quality. From the more interesting song structures, to the hulking size of the riffs, these guys have clearly been honing their craft since the release of their debut. Sure, it’s not breaking new ground stylistically, but there’s something comforting listening to a band that know exactly how they want to sound. The production here may sound a little less treated than on their previous album, but I honestly think it just adds more of a vintage charm to the whole thing.
(4 / 5)
